Integrally formed underwater viewing device with peripheral skirt

ABSTRACT

A clear view device for use when vacuuming the bottom or walls of a swimming pool when filled with water which eliminates glare and provides a clear view of the particular area of the swimming pool being cleaned. The said clear view device comprises a flat transparent central portion floating substantially on the surface of the water in the swimming pool provided with an elevated flotation chamber therearound terminating at its outer periphery in a continuous underwater skirt which prevents rapid floating of the device away from the user when vacuuming the bottom and walls of the swimming pool. The said flotation chamber has a plurality of air-bleed apertures through the outer periphery thereof preferably located at the level of the top of the said flat transparent central portion of the clear view device and spaced at intervals therearound permitting the said clear view device to float with its flat transparent central portion disposed on or slightly below the surface of the water in the swimming pool with the flotation chamber disposed thereabove. The outer surfaces of the flotation chamber are preferably but not necessarily provided with a nonglare surface.

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[72] Inventor Gordon W. Stoscup 7854 Five Mile Road, Northvllle, Mich. 48167 [21] Appl. No. 59,527 [22} Filed July 30, 1970 [45] Patented- Dec. 21, 1971 [54] INTEGRALLY FORMED UNDERWATER VIEWING DEVICE WITH PERIPHERAL SKIRT 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 350/319, 1 14/66, 350/276 [51] Int. Cl G02b 5/00 [50] Field of Search 350/276, 319; ll4/66 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,556 7/1946 Wirth 350/319 X Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant ExaminerToby H. Kusmer Attorney-Everett G. Wright ABSTRACT: A clear view device for use when vacuuming the bottom or walls of a swimming pool when filled with water which eliminates glare and provides a clear view of the particular area of the swimming pool being cleaned. The said clear view device comprises a flat transparent central portion floating substantially on the surface of the water in the swimming pool provided with an elevated flotation chamber therearound terminating at its outer periphery in a continuous underwater skirt which prevents rapid floating of the device away from the user when vacuuming the bottom and walls of the swimming pool. The said flotation chamber has a plurality of air-bleed apertures through the outer periphery thereof preferably located at the level of the top of the said flat transparent central portion of the clear view device and spaced at intervals therearound permitting the said clear view device to float with its flat transparent central portion disposed on or slightly below the surface of the water in the swimming pool with the flotation chamber disposed thereabove. The outer surfaces of the flotation chamber are preferably but not necessarily provided with a nonglare surface.

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'FIG. 4

ATTORNEY INTEGRALLY FORMED UNDERWATER VIEWING DEVICE WITH PERIPHERAL SKIRT The primary object of the instant invention is directed to an improved flotation-type underwater viewer or clear view device particularly useful when vacuuming or otherwise cleaning the bottom and walls of a swimming pool or the like which provides a clear view from above the surface of the water in the swimming pool of the bottom and walls thereof. The clear view device is formed to prevent rapid undirected floating movement thereof away from the particular area of use, and includes simple yet effective peripheral float means controlling its level of flotation and the maintaining of its viewing area substantially on or slightly below the surface of the water.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. I is a fragmentary more or less cross-sectional view in perspective of a portion of a swimming pool being vacuumed showing a clear view device of the invention-being used to aid the person vacumming the pool to direct the vacuum brush as required;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of the clear view device'of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2 showing the preferred location of the air-bleed apertures in the outer wall of the inverted U- shaped peripheral float.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In FIG. I is shown for illustrative purposes a typical abovethe-ground swimming pool having a circular base element ll placed on substantially level ground 12 which supports a continuous peripheral side panel 13 reinforced by vertical posts 14 over which is secured an upper peripheral preferably channel-shaped cap member 15, all suitably secured together into a conventional framework. A suitable waterproof side liner 16 is suitably secured within the said continuous peripheral side panel 13. A waterproof bottom liner 17 is laid upon the ground 11, is curved upwardly at its periphery at 170, and is hermetically secured at 18 to the lower portion of the said side liner l6. A fill 120 is preferably built up adjacent the peripheral side panel 13 upon which the curved periphery I70 of the bottom liner I7 is supported. The swimming pool 10 is preferably filled with water as high as a selected water level WL.

A man 20 is shown in FIG. I vacuuming the interior of the swimming pool by means of a vacuum brush 21 to which is connected a vacuum hose 22 extending from a suitable source of vacuum (not shown). The vacuum brush 21 is manipulated manually underwater by means of a relatively long handle 210. Floating on the surface of the water in the swimming pool 10 in front of the man 20 vacuum cleaning the said pool is a clear view device 25 of the invention which may be floated by gentle nudges or manual pushing to a position into which the man 20 vacuuming the swimming pool 10 may readily see therethrough to the area being vacuumed, thereby enabling him to properly direct the vacuum brush 2! as required. Although not shown, the clear view device 20 also aids the person vacuuming the swimming pool to thoroughly clean the sides of the pool as well as the bottom thereof.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the clear view device 25 of the invention shown therein is preferably integrally formed of a suitable clear transparent plastic material. The clear'view device 25 may be either vacuum formed from a sheet or injection molded into a traylike shape having a generally flat central viewing portion 250 surrounded by an inverted U-shaped peripheral float 251 having an outer flange extending below the level of the said flat central viewing portion 250 a distance preferably somewhat greater than theheight of the inverted U-shaped float 251 providing a peripheral depending underwater skin 2510 around the float 251 of the clear view device '25. This depending skirt 2510 prevents the clear view device 25 from readily drifting away from the position into which it is placed by the person using the said clear view device as illustrated in FIG. I, and yet permits it to be nudged or moved readily to the desired useful position by the person vacuuming or otherwise cleaning the swimming pool. 5

Around the outer periphery of the float 251 of the clear view device 25 located approximately opposite the level of the flat central viewing portion 250 thereof are a plurality of airbleed apertures 252 through which air entrapped within the skirt 2510 of the clear view device 25 may escape whereby as-' suring that the bottom of the flat central viewing portion 250 of the clear view device 25 is constantly in contact with the surface of the water in the swimming pool 10.

The clear view device 25 of the invention just described permits the person 20 vacuuming or otherwise cleaning the swimming pool 10 to see clearly the area of the bottom or sides of the swimmingpool 10 being cleaned whereby to assure properly manually directed complete and proper vacuuming or other cleaning of the swimming pool 10.

The dot and dash lines 30 in FIG. 1 indicate the area of cleaning that may be accurately observed through a clear view device 25 while cleaning the swimming pool 10, the said clear view device 25 being easily moved by nudging or pushing it to the position desired, the skirt 2510 functioning to eliminate the otherwise normal and usual run-away" of the clear view device 25 when being guided by the person 20 cleaning the pool to the desired position.

The clear view device 25 of the invention may be of any convenient size and be of a square, rectangular or.circular shape. Without limiting the size or shape of the clear view device 25, l5 to 24 inch square or round clear view devices 25v have been found to be well within the desirable size.

As indicated by the stippling 255 in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the inner face, the top, and the outer face of the inverted U- shaped float 251 of the clear view device 25 may be roughened in any suitable manner such as by sand blasting, etching or otherwise to avoid the reflection of bright light into the eyes of the user of the clear view device on bright or sunny days whereby a clear underwater view as illustrated in FIG. I is possible at all times. This roughening of the surface of the inverted U-shaped float 251 may extend across the top and the inner above-water face thereof as well as on the outer face thereof whereby to assure that all above-water areas of the clear view device 25 except the flat central viewing portion 250 thereof will be nonglare surfaces.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention, all without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A clear view device for use when cleaning water filled swimming pools and the like comprising an integrally formed body having a flat transparent central portion of a substantial area and a generally inverted U-shaped flotation chamber formed around the periphery of said flat transparent central position and extending above said flat central portion terminating in a vertically depending outer peripheral skirt extending a substantial distance below said flat central portion,

said inverted U-shaped flotation chamber having a plurality of circumferentially spaced air-bleed apertures through the outer wall thereof located substantially at the level of the top of said flat transparent central portion permitting said flat transparent portion to float on or slightly below the surface of the water in the swimming pool being cleaned. 2. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the walls of the inverted U-shaped flotation chamber adjacent and above the said flat-transparent central portion thereof are substantially nonreflecting.

3. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer walls of the inverted U-shaped flotation chamber above the said flat transparent central portion are substantially nonreflecting.

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1. A clear view device for use when cleaning water filled swimming pools and the like comprising an integrally formed body having a flat transparent central portion of a substantial area and a generally inverted U-shaped flotation chamber formed around the periphery of said flat transparent central position and extending above said flat central portion terminating in a vertically depending outer peripheral skirt extending a substantial distance below said flat central portion, said inverted U-shaped flotation chamber having a plurality of circumferentially spaced air-bleed apertures through the outer wall thereof located substantially at the level of the top of said flat transparent central portion permitting said flat transparent portion to float on or slightly below the surface of the water in the swimming pool being cleaned.
 2. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the walls of the inverted U-shaped flotation chamber adjacent and above the said flat transparent central portion thereof are substantially nonreflecting.
 3. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer walls of the inverted U-shaped flotation chamber above the said flat transparent central portion are substantially nonreflecting.
 4. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer walls of the inverted U-shaped flotation chamber above the said flat transparent central portion and the outer wall of said skirt are substantially nonreflecting.
 5. A clear view device as claimed in claim 1 wherein all outer surfaces except that of the flat transparent central portion are substantially nonreflecting. 